Through Your Eyes
by allmylovesallmysecrets
Summary: AU 4X13 Caroline is bit by Klaus but finds that she no longer needs his blood to heal. A strong, unbreakable bond begins to form between them that sends each of them back in time to relive each other's past. With the race for the cure still on and tensions rising high, things become a little too complicated.
1. Chapter 1

_"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."_

_~William Shakespeare _

Why they insisted on destroying this man over and over again was pointless to her. Even after they found out about the bloodlines, how they would all die if he perished, everyone insisted that this world would be better off without him. Frankly, she was sick of it. Pretty damn tired of it if you asked her. Yet they pushed and _pushed_.

The text messages blew up her phone. Elena called constantly and then Bonnie. She knew what they wanted and for some reason she couldn't bring herself to comply. Being the blonde distraction just wasn't doing it for her anymore. There were more important things on her mind than this stupid search for the cure. Why did they even want to be human again? Why did they want to shove it down Klaus' throat and get rid of him for good? Did they know he had siblings? Siblings, may she add, who would be rather upset to find that their brother was no longer walking around terrorizing the good people of the earth. Sure, the Mikaelson's hated each other, but they'll protect each other at whatever cost.

Though this constant avoidance of him had _nothing_ to do with their secret meetings. It didn't matter that they would meet once or twice a week to talk, to 'get to know each other more' as he put it. She didn't want to do it, she swears, but for some reason he pulled her in. It was only supposed to be a one time thing. She was lonely...Tyler was never around and life was just...hard? Yes, it was very hard. And every night she reminded herself of how horrible he was, how he simply didn't care about anyone other than himself, how it would always remain that way and how it always _was_ that way.

But she didn't know what she was walking into when Tyler called her. He said something about damage control at the Gilbert house, that Elena needed them to take care of something after she left for the island. So after Caroline finished up a few things at her house, she drove over. She wasn't sure what she was expecting but didn't think twice about it. It's probably nothing she's done before.

So rather casually she skipped up the porch steps as she hummed a meaningless tune to herself. Her phone was in her hand as she skimmed through her Twitter feed. A picture of a kitten poking through a toilet paper roll brought a smile to her face and she stepped into the house.

"That's so cute," she said to herself and then called, "Ty? Ty are you in here?"

Caroline set her bag on the couch and placed her phone on the coffee table. She listened for a second and heard movement in the kitchen followed by a few curse words and a deflated sigh.

"Tyler?" She called out again.

She stepped in the kitchen and found him hunched over behind the island. He bumped his head on the counter as he stood, a relieved look on his face as he came over to her.

"Care," he smiled and brushed a kiss on her lips. "Thank God you're here."

"What's the matter?"

"Well-"

Then, out of nowhere it seemed, a low chuckle came from behind her. "Oh yes, tell her what you need help _disposing _of."

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. Tyler closed his eyes, shaking his head as she turned to face him.

He was standing in the middle of Elena's living room, hands behind his back as he smirked at her. She wasn't sure if she should be running or not, though Tyler seemed rather calm. He wouldn't have brought her here if he thought she'd be in danger.

(As if anyone thought Klaus would actually _hurt_ her.)

"What's going on?" She asked slowly.

"Don't look at me, love, I believe your mutt was about to explain all of that."

She obeyed him and turned towards Tyler, raising an eyebrow at him. "I thought I was clear when I told all of you-"

"This has nothing to do with that." Tyler muttered, gaining a curious look from Klaus. "I just need help with the body."

"The what?"

And that's when she saw the burnt corpse on the other side of the island. It lay with a blanket draped over what seemed to be it's legs and she saw the back door wide open. A roll of nausea erupted in her stomach as her eyes widened at the sight. What the hell went on in here?

"Who the hell is that? Did you-"

"God, Caroline, _no_-"

She whirled around to Klaus, eyes ablaze as she took him in. "Did you _burn_ someone to death? Seriously, Klaus, that's kind of-"

"Actually, love. For once, it wasn't me."

Tyler cleared his throat, glaring at the hybrid before pulling Caroline back to him. "Kol came by earlier today to kill Jeremy. He wanted to stop the search for Silas but Elena got to him first." He sighed, noticing the change in Klaus' expression, "She killed him with the white oak stake."

Caroline swallowed hard and glanced over his shoulder. "Why hasn't he killed everyone yet?"

"Bonnie trapped him in here for a few days, something about the moon and what not. We're safe."

"So they sent you to clean this up?"

Tyler shrugged. "That's what Damon was barking about on the phone."

Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Elena managed to kill an Original, who would have thought? And then she ran off leaving Caroline with the mess. Figures, some things just never change.

She tried ignoring Klaus as she spoke. "Well what were you planning on doing with him?"

"I don't know. They just told me to get rid of him."

"You won't dare touch him if you know what's good for you." Klaus snapped, now only feet from them. "I'll take care of him when I'm free."

"Then we can leave." Caroline nodded, not wanting to spend anymore time in here than what was absolutely necessary.

"But-"

"Why are you making this hard for yourself? The guy said no, he'll be out of here in a day or two just in time for everyone to get back. They'll never be the wiser."

Tyler rolled his eyes and moved to the cabinet behind him. He reached in for a glass and then bent down to retrieve something from the bottom cabinet. She watched as he come up with a bottle of vodka and poured it happily into his glass.

"Fine, I'll leave the body but I'm staying."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "To do what, exactly?"

He grinned, leaned over to Klaus, and took a sip. "To gloat. He killed my mother, basically ruined my entire life, forgive me if I want to rub this in a little."

"He's really worth all this anger? Don't you want to come home instead?" She tried coaxing him out, trailing her fingers over his clenched fists as he downed another glass.

He ripped his hand away from her. "No thanks. Seeing him all worthless and pathetic just makes it all the more easy for when I do kill him."

Klaus spoke up. "I killed your mother...my brother is dead...we are _even_."

"Even? Just because you're suffering from one lousy casualty doesn't mean the playing field has been leveled."

"I believe it does." He looked to Caroline. "Now why don't you call your little witch friend and tell her to let me out? I'll take my brother and be out of your hair...for now."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, walking over to him. "Seriously? I'm trying to get him out. You're still an asshole but right now I'm feeling a little bad. You can stay in there for eternity for all I care, but I'll let you grieve."

"Stop bothering with him, Care. We'll leave in a bit, either get comfy or leave. I don't need you fighting with him." Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Can you just shut up? You're acting like a child," she looked at Klaus, "and you can't recognize that what you did was wrong. I mean might I remind you that this was the house Elena's Aunt Jenna lived in. Tyler's mother is dead and it's not like she was attacking you. You're not innocent in this."

He gritted his teeth and she saw his jaw tightened. There was a different gleam in his eyes tonight but for some reason it didn't stop her. She felt as if she needed to say these things, to remind herself that he was, in fact, a horrible person. Because it seems in these past few weeks she's forgotten it and that's something to be ashamed of, more than ashamed. These people, _her friends_, would never look at her the same again. She would be deemed a traitor, and they'd never let her forget it.

"God, I don't even know why I bother. You're not going to get it, you never will." Her hands balled up into fists but she whispered to him next, so low that not even Tyler heard. "_It's over...I won't do it anymore._"

And she didn't know what happened next, it was too fast. Her mind didn't register the poll being stabbed in her stomach as she was brought into his arms. Sooner than she realized his fangs were buried a few inches into her neck and she felt the venom hit her bloodstream. It flowed in easily, as if knowing it's way already as she fell to the floor.

She really did it this time.

Faintly she heard someone calling her name but all she could see was him. He loomed over her, his face darkened and eyes glistened as her lips moved soundlessly to him. She couldn't have picked a better time to be a raging bitch. He was obviously hurt and probably didn't need the extra blame thrown on his shoulders by her. But she insisted, she pushed and pushed until he went toppling over the edge. She just had to end it...but end what exactly?

They've met three or four times, only for an hour at the most. He would talk mostly, tell her things about him as she listened. It shouldn't have meant anything and at first she told herself she was doing it for information. This would make it easier to kill him, to end all of this. But no, of course not. It just made everything all the more difficult, impossible almost.

She felt herself being pulled and that's when he looked away. Tyler had dragged her into the sitting room before finally picking her up and setting her on the couch. He moved a few strands of hair from her face and tried to remain calm but it was proving difficult. Whatever she said to him was enough for him to proceed to stab her and take it as far as biting her. And all because of some stupid words.

"Alright," Tyler said, spinning from the couch to Klaus. "I get it. She wronged you, Elena wronged you, I wronged you...you're better and stronger than us all."

"Finally," Klaus smiled, "Someone's said it."

"But you're willing to let her die because of it? Because that's what's going to happen, you know, _she'll die_ and it'll be your fault."

Klaus stiffened but it was so slightly, such a small change in his posture that Tyler barely noticed. "Well then you will have learned your lesson."

It was in that moment that her breathing picked up. At first she was numb, couldn't comprehend that he actually did what he did. But now it was sinking in, the pain made the tips of her fingers tingle and the skin on her neck bubbled and festered. She moaned as her hand covered the bite and she flinched as her fingers brushed over the blood, pus covered flesh.

"Oh my God," her eyes connected with Klaus' but he looked away from her. "Oh my God. No, not again, not again."

Klaus winced as Tyler turned back to her. He watched him kneel down and cradle her face in his hands. She was hyperventilating, her whole body shook as she stared helplessly into his eyes. He saw the hurt in them, the disappointment and it took everything not to look away. But this was her lesson. This is what she gets for treating him like he's nothing, for breaking off the thing he knows she enjoys all too well. This will teach Tyler to watch his mouth and let everyone in this pony town know who's really in charge.

And it'll all be by her death.

Tyler stood up then, carrying Caroline in his arms. At first Klaus thought he was taking her away and a wave of panic shot through him. But to his surprise Tyler came towards him and crouched down, setting her at the threshold of the living room. Her head rolled to the side as a whimper escaped her lips.

"Tyler?" She looked up at him, confused, but he didn't acknowledge her.

He was looking straight at Klaus. "You won't save her? Fine. But you're going to watch her die."

"Tyler…." Caroline nearly begged. The last thing she wanted was to be left here. What was he thinking?

Without another look Tyler walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him, leaving her to her fate.

* * *

For some reason she was holding out longer than she was supposed to.

He moved her to the couch and she clung to him for dear life, fingers curling around his shirt as his arms encased around her. But it ended all too quickly as he bent down and laid her onto the leather cushions. He barely said two words to her the entire time and empty silences were Caroline's pet peeve. But what could she say to him that he didn't already know?

She'll die if he doesn't give her his blood and he _knows _that. He simply wishes not to acknowledge the truth.

The pain has moved to her neck and crawled down her chest, making it harder to breathe. She doesn't have to breathe but it's this mechanic thing she's been doing for seventeen years and the very fact that she's unable to do it makes her panic. She chokes a little, not realizing it until all the air gets trapped in her lungs. The strangled noise probs Klaus to turn around and his eyes widen at her struggles.

"Caroline-"

"I can't-" She tries to sit up but it's too painful. "I can't breathe."

Klaus smiles solemnly as he sits across from her on the coffee table. "Love, you don't have to breathe."

She looks up at the ceiling and coughs. "Yeah, well I like to breathe."

"Why?" He whispers.

Caroline pauses before answering. "It calms me...reminds me of being human because that's what you're supposed to do, you know. When you're all stressed out and stuff...deep breaths calm you down."

Klaus nods his head although she knows he doesn't understand.

"Tyler," she tries to say because she wants to tell him something, "You know Tyler will never be able to kill you. He only had the courage to say those things because at the moment you're trapped in this room and he's free."

"And I thought the lot of you would be the furthest from my worry, yet somehow, I fear for my life at times." He admitted, his eyes averted from her.

She smiled although it didn't touch her eyes. "Yeah, everyone seems to accomplish the impossible when Elena's life is on the line. But here I am, trapped here with you _actually _dying and Tyler left me." She shakes her head. "He probably thinks you'll save me like before...because you have some crush on me or something...but it's different this time, isn't it?"

Ever so slightly he nods his head.

"Well, then I'm not sorry for what I said to you." Her voice is softer now. You can hear the actual energy slipping for her as her face pales. "Everything I said was undeniably true and you know that."

"Why you all insist on reminding me of those deeds is beyond me. They're never coming back. It's like rubbing salt on a wound every time someone mentions their names."

"You might not understand this, but they meant something to people. They were loved and losing someone you love...it's not easy, Klaus."

For a mere second, she thought she saw him look back to the kitchen. But perhaps it was just a hallucination.

"I know, Caroline…."

"Do you though? I mean...I know you're in love with me and yet you're going to let me die."

_He smiled and nodded his head. "I've always loved you."_

_It was weird hearing it from him because it seemed to mean so much. Those words weren't insignificant like they seemed to be with everyone else. _

_And then he was leaning down, lips merely inches for hers as they came to brush against-_

"Caroline?"

She seemed dazed, eyes blinking rapidly as she came back to him.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded but didn't say anything.

"I suppose you didn't hear me then."

She shook her head.

He pursed his lips and nodded. "Perhaps it's for the best then."

"Do you though?" Caroline didn't see the point in holding anything back. "Love me, I mean."

"I think I could have."

She coughed again but this time it was more violent, blood dripped from her lips and her neck was oozing. She reached out and gripped his hand as she attempted to breathe one last time.

"Welp," she rasped and coughed again, "I guess I'll never know."

And then her eyes closed but it was a slow motion, like she was doing it for the last time. She stopped trying to breathe and her body stilled.

He looked away for a brief moment, knowing exactly what he was about to do. He was at his breaking point, readying himself to end her misery when her eyes flew open. She shot up off the couch, chest heaving as her eyes fell on him. At first he thought it was fear within her but he was barely focused on her face. His eyes momentarily fell on her neck and saw it was completely healed.

Wait _what_?

He was up in a flash, hovering above her as he gripped her shoulders.

"Klaus what are you-"

His eyes silenced her as he pushed her matted hair back. It was impossible. Besides from the lingering blood her skin was completely healed, smooth and pure like it's always been. The color was coming back to her cheeks and she seemed to be able to breathe again, just like she wanted to.

She didn't realize she was gripping his sleeve, still gasping as his fingers were on her neck. He was muttering incoherent things under his breath, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut. As he pulled away from her he could have sworn she saw his hands tremble.

"Klaus...what's wrong?"

He was shaking his head, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace the room. She felt her wound and sighed in relief as it was healed. But if she was healed then why was he panicking? It was as if she died-

Before she could speak she found his wrist shoved in her mouth, his blood flowing down her throat. It tasted better than she remembered and it felt like so long but it shouldn't have. She usually comes back when he feeds her. Last time her senses snapped and everything became clear again. Her entire body buzzed and it was better than anything she's ever tasted.

Her eyes connected with his as she tried to pull away but he only pushed harder. His expression was torn, features ripped apart as his eyes were glazed with this unknown emotion. For some reason he couldn't believe it. She couldn't be healed, that's not how it works. And the thought of sending her home without a stitch of his blood running through her troubled him more than he liked.

She muffled something against his skin as she shoved his wrist away.

"What the hell is the matter with you?"

He swallowed hard and attempted to say something.

"Well?" She wiped her lips.

"You…do you remember anything?"

She eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "What are you talking about? We had our little talk and then I got super tired. I closed my eyes and then I remember waking up to you all over me."

He sighed and shook his head as he took his spot back on the coffee table. "Caroline, you...God I don't know if I can say it."

"Did I die? Oh my God am I dead or something? Klaus-" The tears were pricking her eyes, threatening to stream down her flushed cheeks. But he grabbed her shoulders, squeezing them lightly as he attempted a smile.

"No, love. In fact, you're very far from it."

"Then what's going on?"

She watched him swallow and he looked to the right of him for a moment. His hands slipped and disappointment flooded her as her skin seemed to burn from the loss of touch. For some reason she was aching for it back, restraining her hands from dragging him back to her.

This was different...odd...something wasn't right.

"You...you healed yourself, Caroline. I was about to save you. I turned away for only a second, I swear, and then you were sitting up on the couch and the bite was gone."

If there was ever a time to panic, to completely freak out, then this was it. She knew if she were human she probably would have fainted or stumbled back against something. Because this was...this was impossible, right? You can't heal yourself from something as severe as this. And it's not as if he didn't really bite her. She cringed at the memory of his fangs digging into her neck, ripping apart her skin as she fell to the floor. She felt the venom, had the hallucination of him kissing her and even lost her ability to breathe. The sweat coated her entire body and blood still remained on her shoulder for proof.

She was staring at him, not sure what to say, or what to do. Her eyes blinked a few times and her nails were digging into Elena's couch. If her heart could beat it would have given her a heart attack by now because she wasn't getting it. None of this was making any sense.

"Klaus, I don't understand."

He looked down at his clasped hands. "I'm not sure what to tell you. I didn't feed you any blood prior, and it's been a while since you had it. There's no way it could still have an effect. It's out of your system by now."

"So what does this mean? Am I immune? Does it not affect me anymore?" Caroline questioned as he held out her wrist. "Here, bite me again. See what happens."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "I will not bite you again, are you insane?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to figure things out here."

"Well potentially killing you again wasn't what I had in mind."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You did it twice, what's the harm in one more time?"

"It wouldn't work anyway. I already fed you my blood so there wouldn't be a point."

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Well I don't know what you want to do but I have to get home. I'm gross and my mom's going to be there soon and it's late-"

"Who says you're leaving?"

She was halfway off the couch when she scoffed. "And since when are you in charge of me?"

"Caroline something could happen and I won't be there to stop it. As you can see, I'm currently trapped here and, therefore, am unable to watch you as needed."

"The only person here who needs watching is you. You're all mourning, and depressed, and raging with blood lust. It's good this barrier will hold for a little while longer." She bounced completely off the couch then and headed for the door when she was yanked back.

"_Caroline_-"

She whirled around, teeth gritted together as she stared at him. "I will be fine. I have your blood and apparently I'm good with the whole bite thing. But right now, I can't be here anymore because this is freaking me out and Tyler's probably worried, and my mom-"

He was inches from her now, lips slightly parted as his eyes roamed her face. His hands were twitching beside him and something was churning his insides. He felt undeniably sick with the thought of her going home and dying helplessly in her bed because he couldn't be there. For a brief second he debated in snapping her neck just to keep her here. But the consequences of that were something he didn't want to live through.

"Please, _please_, for the love of God go straight home. You go straight home and stay inside, understand?" He paused, waiting for her to answer. "Do you understand me?"

Caroline frowned and licked her lips slowly before nodding her head. She had the urge to reassure him, to reach out and stroke his cheek or squeeze his hand. Anything to let him know that it would be okay, that she would wake up tomorrow better.

"I'll come back if it makes you happy." She peered at him through her long lashes. "Does that make you happy?"

He smiled but it was a weak, fake smile. She knew it all too well. "Yes...yes it does."

She nodded, content with leaving them on these terms. Without another thought she collected her things and headed towards the door. She looked back only once before exiting but it was strange. As soon as she exited the home her neck stung even though her skin remained smooth and healed. She tried to shake it off as she headed towards her car because this was just insane. Totally, absolutely insane.

Why is it always her? You don't see Elena getting caught up in shit like this. At least her situations are explanatory. Everyone either wants her blood or her death, and that's easy. But this? This is on an entirely different level. A level, may she add, that she had no intention of reaching.

Though it seems the universe or fate or whatever the hell it's called...has other plans for her.

* * *

It was a few days after Caroline left the Gilbert house. She had stopped by occasionally per Klaus' request, twirling and spinning in all her fineness. He still believed that she was going to collapse at any moment, like she was some fragile girl unable to take care of herself. But everyday she proved him wrong.

He had dozed off, his eyes closing momentarily as he waited for her. It had been almost impossible for him to get any sleep. Who knows what these people would manage to do if he closed his eyes for a few minutes?

Minutes, that's all it was. His eyes shut and before he knew it they were open again. But now sunlight was peaking through the window and he heard movement coming from upstairs. There had to be at least three people in the house. One in the kitchen and two upstairs. He immediately bolted up, preparing himself for the worst. But then he heard an oddly familiar voice.

"Elena! Jeremy! Guys, come on, you're going to be late for school!"

His body went rigid, eyes going wide as he flashed to the corner of the room. It sounded exactly like-

"Sorry, I couldn't find my sweater." Elena popped into the kitchen, long brown hair swaying behind her as she took the mug of coffee on the counter. "And I'm pretty sure Jeremy is still sleeping."

The woman, whose name he couldn't place, sighed. "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with him. He has to leave in five minutes."

"You guys have no faith in me." The infamous Gilbert boy entered the room but his appearance floored Klaus. He was dressed in all black, as if he was ready to go to some funeral. His hair was covering his eyes as he slung the bookbag over his shoulder. His voice was distant and he rolled his eyes as he came into the kitchen.

The woman seemed relieved. "Oh good, you're up. Do you want some breakfast? Coffee? Juice?"

Jeremy glared at her and shook his head. "I'm just going to go."

"Are you sure? I really don't mind-"

"I'm fine, Aunt Jenna."

Klaus' body stilled, his eyes popped out of his head as he watched the scene unfold before him. Aunt Jenna...Elena's aunt….

"_I mean might I remind you that this was the house Elena's Aunt Jenna lived in."_

He shivered as he remembered Caroline's words. But how could she be alive? How could the doppelganger be human? He smelled it on her as soon as she entered the room and Jeremy was the farthest thing from a hunter. It was almost as if he was thrown back in time, years before he returned to this town.

His body was shaking as he watched the pair leave together. Jenna had let out a relieved sigh as the door closed behind them and gathered up her things. She seemed tired as she sipped her coffee, trudging out of the kitchen and heading towards the stairs. He watched her carefully, eyes calculating her every move as she went up the stairs. Her phone rang and she talked to someone for a few minutes before heading into the bathroom and turning on the shower. He waited a few moments, sure she wasn't to come out before he attempted to leave.

Klaus smiled as he flashed out and onto the porch. Everything seemed the same, exactly how he remembered it. Perhaps this was just some dream or he was being cooped up in that house for too long. He couldn't possibly-

"Here you go," the paper boy on his bike rode by, throwing a newspaper right into Klaus' hands.

He caught it easily, not thinking much of it as he tossed it onto the ground. But as he walked away his eyes caught something in the corner of the paper.

It was the date.

October 10th..._2009_.

* * *

**Soo this is my new play on a Time Travel Fic! I hope you all liked it. This has been my little project for a while now and I'm so excited to get this fic moving, I have so much planned for it! And special thanks to Laura (eternityofklaroline) for all the help with this fic, the ideas and getting me going with it! Also thanks to my beta, Stephanie (klarolinedrabbles) for helping me out so much! **

**I would love to know what you think! Good, bad, awful? **

**Thanks for reading and have a great week!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Present_

Caroline came bouncing up the Gilbert house steps. She was already a little late as she had promised to come over an hour ago. But the prom committee needed her, she couldn't just refuse. Klaus would just have to understand.

"Klaus?" She called out as she walked into the foyer.

The house was eerily quiet, no movement or snide remarks sounding as she came in. Caroline placed her purse and keys on the table and walked into the living room where he was trapped.

She was shocked to see the room completely empty, as if he was never there at all.

_He left!_ She thought. _The asshole left me._

In a fury Caroline gathered her things and stormed out the door, muttering death threats under her breath. That was the last time she was listening to him.

* * *

_October 2009_

No, no.

This was _not _happening.

Klaus sped off away from the Gilbert house, hands shaking and palms sweaty. This had to be a trick, some spell those imbeciles had created for him. It explained why Caroline kept coming back to him every day, why the spell hadn't lifted in the time it should have. He felt himself rippling with anger, wanting nothing more than to have all their hands mounted up above his fireplace. He should have known. Her games fooled him before why not one more time?

But this? To send him back in time to this place? He shook his head, these people had lost their minds.

Klaus tried to contain his anger as he thought. Once he got a witch, the rest would be easy. It wouldn't take much for them to perform the spell with a little persuasion on his end. A few hours, some threats and he'd be home before dinner. There was no room for panic or error. He was the Original Hybrid after all and despite some blinding rage, he wasn't worried.

In all the thinking and planning, Klaus didn't realize where he was heading. The sounding of a school bell rang in his ear followed by laughter. His head snapped up and he found himself surrounded by teenagers. Reckless, annoying, hormonal teenagers.

Disgusting.

He was ready to turn away when he saw her. But it was where and more importantly with whom that made his jaw clench.

She was bouncing and bubbly, hopping over the blue Camaro door with a smile on her face. Damon was in the driver's side, looking bored as he stared at his reflection. His glanced to the side, checking if she was still there and sighed in annoyance when she was. Klaus watched as Caroline bent down in the mirror, repositioned the scarf around her neck and then skipped over to the other side. Damon smiled up at her, tapped his lips and she leaned down to meet his.

"So I'll pick you up after school?"

_Over my dead body_, Klaus thought. It was bad enough she was dating the mutt back home but Damon? Damon fucking Salvatore? How did he not know about this?

Caroline shrugged, bringing her bag closer to her. "Um I sorta have a Student Council meeting at three, so probably not."

Damon smiled and Klaus watched as his fingers snaked up her neck, tugging the scarf down so she was closer to him. "Well...you're going to skip that meeting for me and I'll be right here waiting for you at two-thirty."

Caroline blinked a few times, confusion washing over her face before she nodded. "Two-thirty, okay!" She leaned down, a smile now on her face, and pecked his lips once more. "Bye!"

Klaus' eyes followed her as she walked happily into the school, blonde curls flying behind her. She caught up with a few people at the entrance before disappearing around a corner. He nearly whipped around to face the Salvatore, watching in a blind rage as he drove way. His mind was clouding, the anger rippling through him at the realization. This..._relationship_ of theirs was nothing but a little game to Damon. Klaus saw the compulsion, the confusion wash over her face before disappearing as if it was never there. He now even reconsidered that pretty little scarf around her neck for a fashion choice. It was bloody eighty degrees out. Who wears a scarf?

He couldn't think straight, his mind was spinning in a million different directions. It would be easy to race over to the boarding house, storm in and rip his heart out of his chest. But the repercussions of that act would be unknown to him. He is after all in the past, and when he does return the consequences of that action would be unknown. So going against every muscle in his body propelling him forward, he spun around.

His body was shaking. Why did he feel so angry? Why should he care what happened to her? She never cared about him. All her ploys only led to his demise and he knew no matter what happened to them, her loyalty would always go to those makeshift friends. The ones that only called when they needed her and kept her out of everything important. She was so ignorant to the world they were throwing her into because no one ever bothered to explain anything. The cure would never reach her lips if that's what she chose, and that small, insignificant town would bind her there for eternity. She deserved the world yet, they would keep her there with fears of the unknown. Why not stay somewhere safe and familiar as opposed to risking it all?

But this thing with..._Damon_...she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve her free will taken from her, to be used for blood, and he didn't even want to think of what else. He wondered if they knew, if those so called _friends_ of hers knew of this torture she went through. Part of him knew the answer, knew that no one was ignorant of this situation. But apparently she wasn't worth saving.

Who really is anymore?

Klaus raced off, trying to regain his breathing. What he needed was a witch so he could back to the right time. None of this made sense and he felt like he shouldn't be seeing it. And for what? What did this show him? What did it prove? Are they trying shove his mistakes in his face? He saw the woman, Elena's aunt. He saw her alive and well, struggling to raise the orphan children.

He saw the doppelganger, saw the pain in her eyes as she got ready for school. Her brother as well, only a shell of the man he is today.

Would he do it over? He wasn't sure. He did get what he wanted. Klaus broke the curse and got his hybrids. He waited a thousand years for this and no one understood the torture of it. Not being able to express who you are for hundreds of years is suffocating. Knowing it, _feeling_ it rage inside of you but never having an outlet, never being able to show the world who you were all along killed him. He was never supposed to know these people. He was never supposed to be blinded by this blonde light. He was never supposed to see the Ripper again.

He kept running, one destination in mind. He had to find her, he had to get out of here and he was sure that she was the only one who could do it.

Afterall, she was probably the one who sent him here in the first place.

"Bonnie Bennett," he whispered, "_I'm coming for you_."

* * *

_Present_

"_Please, have a seat."_

_Caroline looked warily around the room. She's never been in the Mikaelson Mansion before. Well...except for the ball but that was forever ago. It looked different now, bigger than she remembered. She couldn't help but feel it's emptiness. _

"_Can I get you anything?"_

_She shook her head and sat on the sofa. "No, thanks."_

_He nodded and took a sip from his drink. "How was your day?"_

_It always started off like this. There was this awkwardness floating in the air, making them both rather uncomfortable. She would shift in her seat from time to time, looking away from him to focus on something else. But it only took one small joke, a little jab in the right direction to get them both laughing. _

_And then the air settled._

"_You know," she had said that day, their last day together before it all fell apart, "You _are_ different. In the grand scheme of things, when it all boils down, you're not _terrible._"_

_He smiled warmly at her, relishing in the compliment. "Is that right?"_

_Caroline nodded, tucking her legs underneath her. "You listen to me," she laughed weakly, "No one listens to me."_

_Klaus frowned and set his drink on the coffee table. "Well you're a very intelligent woman, Caroline. They could learn a lot from you."_

"_I don't just mean that. Like," she huffed and wiggled around a bit on the couch. "You listen to those not-so-important things. Tyler doesn't care about Prom, or Graduation and he's actually apart of those things. And then there's you who's like a billion years old and the idea of it seems to fascinate you."_

_He smiled softly. "I like listening to things people are passionate about. They make things more than they ever could be."_

"_It's nothing special," she shook her head, "but thank you."_

_She looked at the clock then, eyes widening as he caught the time. They've been talking for hours._

"_I should go. My mom's going to be home soon."_

_Klaus stood and nodded. "Very well. It was a pleasure as always, love."_

_She remembers hesitating on leaving that night. Her mother wouldn't be home until ten and it's not like anyone would be looking for her. But better judgement made the decision for her._

_He caught the pause at the last minute and before he knew it she was out the door._

"_Goodbye, Klaus." Was the last thing she said before racing off in her car._

* * *

Caroline blinked her eyes, being snapped out of the memory as she pulls into the driveway. Stefan was frantic on the phone, nearly screaming at her to head over as soon as possible. He said it wasn't good, that something happened on the island-something they weren't prepared for.

So she jumped in her car immediately, wasting no time in racing to the house. And now she was walking up the steps and her whole body was shaking. Though, it wasn't necessarily the nerves. There was a stinging on the side of her neck, one that only increased as the hours wore on. Every so often her fingers would brush the skin, checking for the only thing that would make sense. But every time her fingers would run across smooth flesh and her brow would crease.

It's been days since the incident, days since his blood has run through her system. So why was she feeling like this? Why did every muscle ache and her head feel like it was going to roll off her neck? It didn't add up and the longer she went without seeing him, the more nervous she became. Not only did she feel herself fearing for her life but she was also growing wary about him. He wouldn't have left her. Even in his twisted, psycho ways, she didn't think he would leave.

So where the hell was he?

"Caroline," it was Stefan's relieved sigh that she heard when she walked in. She hasn't seen him in days and it was nice to have her friend back.

"Stefan," she whispered, leaning down and embracing him gently. "What happened?"

He kept them on the porch, his voice hushed. "God, I don't even know how to say this."

She tilted her head to the side, eyebrows scrunching together as she took a seat on the swing.

"We got to the tomb where Silas was," Stefan began to explain, running a hand through his hair. "There were some problems beforehand but everything was going relatively okay. But no one realized we were being followed."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Who would be following you?"

Stefan sighed, rolled his eyes. "Who else? The bitch snuck herself on the God forsaken island, snapped Elena's neck, knocked Bonnie out, got Jeremy, _fed_ him to Silas, all so she could get the cure."

"Wait…" she was shaking her head, lips pressed together as she felt the tears well in her eyes. "Wait, Jeremy? She fed him to Silas? Does that mean-"

"His body is upstairs with Elena right now. She thinks he's going to wake up soon."

Caroline felt sick to her stomach. "Oh my God."

"She won't listen to me, no matter what I say or do. And I have no idea what to say to her because she's just sitting at his bedside, gripping his hand. Meredith is coming later today but other than that I'm sort of clueless."

Caroline spun around, shaking her head as she paced. How could he be dead? Little Jeremy Gilbert couldn't be...be couldn't be gone. Her heart broke thinking of Elena. She really had no one now. No parents...no relatives...no siblings. How could someone be so alone?

"What do you want me to do?" She asked.

Stefan shrugged. "Maybe just stay? Damon and Bonnie stayed back on the island so there isn't much we can do until they get back."

Caroline nodded. "Sure, of course."

"Thanks, Care." He smiled but before he could say anything more his phone rang. At first he thought it was Damon but when he saw the name pop up, his eyebrows rose.

"Who is it?"

He shook his head and answered. "Hey, Rebekah."

"_Where is he_?" Her shrill voice nearly broke his phone.

"Where's who?"

"_My brother. He's not answering his phone and the house is empty. I know him and he wouldn't just leave, so tell me where he is."_

Caroline's eyes widened. He's missing?

Stefan shook his head. "I told you about the spell. Even if nothing happened to Bonnie, it would have worn off by now. He's not here and we didn't-"

"_Well then where the hell is he?"_

Stefan looked at Caroline. "Have you seen him?"

"Uh," she tried to answer but her neck killed. "I saw...I saw him on Tuesday."

"_Tuesday? That was two days ago. That doesn't help me."_

"I could try calling him." She offered as she rubbed her skin.

"_Yes, please do. We'll be in touch."_

The line went dead and Stefan turned to Caroline.

"What were you doing with Klaus?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Well someone had to pry Tyler away. Did you know he was just sitting in that house, with Klaus' dead brother, and gloating? Like actual gloating. I couldn't just leave him there."

He chose his next words carefully. "Well...is that really such a bad thing? I mean the guy kind of deserves it."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she dialed his number. "I don't think you would like someone smiling over Damon's corpse just because of your Ripper tendencies." She turned away from him and hopped down the steps.

It rang a few times before going to voicemail and her stomach dropped. "Uh...hi Klaus, it's Caroline. So you've been kind of MIA for a few days and your sister is kind of getting worried. But if would just call her back and let her know you're not lying in a ditch somewhere, that would be great. Alright...so...bye."

* * *

_October 2009_

It was around three o'clock when he arrived at the Bennett's house. He tried to think how he would go about this. Witches weren't always so keen about helping vampires and if she knew they were enemies in the future that would make her even less willing. _But_ he didn't think they would let someone from the future walk around the past. As always there was this balance and peace and if there was someone who could potentially disrupt that, then it was their job to fix it.

So he figured he had a good chance. And, of course, if all else fails there's always a little Original Hybrid persuasion he could ensue on them.

But one way or another, he was getting back home.

Klaus waltzed up on the steps, rang the doorbell once and even knocked. He placed his hands behind his back and smiled brightly when the door opened. But instead of the younger Bennett he was greeted with an older one.

Her expression immediately darkened at the sight of him and she stood tall. He was surprised by her brave face, the stance she stood as her eyes pierced into his. It told him she knew exactly who was she dealing with and didn't have the slightest sliver of fear.

That surprised him.

"Your kind is not welcomed here."

Klaus put his hands up. "Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. You don't even know what I want."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I don't care what you want. You're not going to get it here, so I suggest you leave."

Klaus came forward and placed his hand on the door frame. "I need your help and whether you want to do it willingly or unwillingly is your choice."

"What is so important that you need me? I'm sure there are hundreds of other witches that will bend to your will."

"Well you see, that's my problem. I'm not from here..._this time_."

The woman's eyes widen in fear as she stepped back. "What-"

"I'm from the year 2013. I believe I was sent back by a few enemies I acquired in this town." He was now at the threshold, leaning down towards the woman. "And I need you to send me back."

Her body was rigid as she took him in. Time travel. It couldn't be possible, not with any magic she's aware of. A witch who would have performed the spell wouldn't be able to handle it. The power and magic needed would have been immense and surely would have drained the witch who casted it. She couldn't imagine someone who held that power. Even with years of experience it would be extremely difficult and would require assistance. She wasn't sure she would even be able to help him.

"If I were to assist you, I need one thing."

Klaus sighed. "And what would that be?"

She smiled softly. "Your hand."

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised as she stood tall. "My hand?"

"I need to know if you're trustworthy...if what you say is true."

Klaus considered this for a second. He was confident that she would find his truth, that he wasn't tricking her like she thought he was. On the other hand, he would be exposed. Once she found out who he was, there was probably no way she would offer her help. Maybe she could look past all those things….

If not he could always use other matters. Though...thinking of that made his stomach churn somehow. He just wanted to get back, quick and easy. This shouldn't be painful.

Reluctantly he reached his hand out and placed it in hers. She seemed hesitant but finally placed her left hand over his and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

The images that flashed through her mind shocked her.

In the distance she saw a field, long blades of grass blowing in the wind. Laughter filled her ears and she spun around to see two boys wrestling in the dirt. One was older, blonde curly hair swaying as he tumbled to the ground. The other was younger, the gleam of innocence in his eyes as he smiled. She felt the goodness in them, the warmth as their souls shined. So untouched from darkness.

But then she was shoved forward, into a castle with stone cold walls and a blazing fireplace. From down a hall she watched in amazement as a man came storming down. His footsteps echoed throughout the room as he roared in anger. She watched as he smashed the glass in his hand to the floor and tore the room apart. Never has she witnessed such anger, such distraught and temperament that it would result to this. Blood dripped from his hands though he didn't stop when someone entered the room.

"Niklaus," the man said, eyes widening at the sight. "There's still time. We can catch up to her, we can _find_ her-"

"DON'T YOU SEE?" Niklaus shouted. "She played me for a bloody fool." He shook his head. "AND I AM NO FOOL!"

Before she realized it, she was being pushed forward again. Her heart ached as it went through hundred of years and _pain_ and _grief_. She found herself weeping for a boy she never knew, cowering in fear for a man who was supposed to give out love and feeling the immense weight of betrayal time and again on her shoulders. It seemed too much, always getting heavier just when she thought it was over.

She witnessed the town. The darkness that it carried and how it turned red at his arrival. She felt the fear within her kin and couldn't help but grow angry at the man. Although she was in his mind, understood the reasoning behind his actions, she saw the darkness that drove him to it. The deeds he committed were far room forgettable though...she saw forgiveness in his future.

She was coming at full force, all smiles and curls with blonde hair flowing behind her. The laugh the echoed in the space boomed and she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness in the presence of this girl. This girl that carried so much life and light yet held so much despair at the same time. The girl was a fighter, prevailed through the darkness and held the strength within her to carry on. She couldn't help but feel the bond between them, the love that was buried deep beneath the hatred and confusion.

And then it all clicked.

She released his hand and stepped back into the house. Her hands smoothed down her shirt and she looked up to the vampire with a smile on her face.

He was so foolish.

"Well?" Klaus demanded, rather annoyed with the look coloring her features.

"You have no idea, do you?"

She took a deep breath, hesitating before gesturing forward. "Come in."

Klaus was shocked and even paused briefly before stepping fully into the house. He watched as the woman was shaking her head, muttering things to herself as she scurried around the room. Never, in all his years, did he ever learn to understand witches. They were too complicated for his taste, though Kol had always found a liking to them.

A pang of guilt shot through him and he swallowed hard, trying to push the lost brother out of his mind. It wasn't time...not yet.

"My name is Sheila Bennett." She placed an old, dusty book on the coffee table. "And there isn't much I can do for you."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Then why let me in? Why do anything at all?"

She smiled softly and shook her head. "Take a seat, Mr. Mikaelson."

He wondered briefly how she knew that but then remembered. She was just searching through his mind moments ago.

"You are part werewolf, yes?"

Klaus nodded his head.

"Just because you are a vampire, doesn't mean that side of you goes away. Are you following me?"

He nodded again.

"So...you're familiar then with werewolf tendencies. Their behavior, the wants and needs of hunting, as well as...mating?" Her eyes connected with his. "Wolves have mates."

His eyes widened momentarily, her face flashing through his mind as he stiffened. This woman didn't know what she was talking about. Caroline was nothing more than...than what? He didn't even know what to call her. Half the time she was yelling at him, and the other half she was seducing him so her friends could kill him. He wasn't sure what she was or how she felt. So what this woman was insinuating was pure madness.

"I believe so." He said though his throat was dry.

She turned a few pages in her book before spinning it around to face him. "I knew as soon as I saw her what this was. It only happens to a select few though never has it been so strong before."

Klaus stared wide eyed at the page, shaking his head in disbelief as he read. He saw the picture of the wolf, howling to the moon above. He couldn't understand most of the writing but all he saw was curse.

"A curse?"

Sheila nodded. "It's the mate's curse. Once the two fated wolves _or_ vampires exchange blood be in sexual relations or for hunger, the curse starts. It only works on those who are fated, who are _meant_ to be together. Once it activates the pair relives moments in their beloved's past. Though...I've never seen or heard of someone being _transported_ back in time to their love's past."

Klaus was shaking his head, hands trembling as he stared at the book. "That's impossible. She can't...Caroline isn't…" he ran a hand through his hair, "Bloody hell, that woman is going to kill me."

"This isn't anything that could have been prevented. Sooner or later you would have ended up together. This just speeds up the process. Usually when each of your journeys are completed, an overwhelming sense of love washes over you both because you come to an understanding. You'll come to know one another like no one else has."

He was still staring at his hands when it dawned on him. "But...if Caroline goes back in time...that means she'll be sent back a thousand years." Klaus stood, shaking his head profusely at Sheila. "No, no that can't happen. You have to stop this. She'll never survive, it'll be too much. She doesn't know what's going on right now. I have to get back." His eyes darkened and the veins around his eyes appeared. "Send me back!"

Sheila remained calm, not acknowledging his outburst. "I can't do that. You only go back once your cycle here is completed. That might be days or weeks...or merely a few hours. Once you see what you are supposed to see, to help you achieve the understanding, only then will you go back to your time."

He tried to breathe, to regain any sense of calm, but it was no use. There was no control here. He was stuck in the past because of a curse he's never heard of. Apparently the woman that loathes him is his mate and she is going to propelled hundreds of years back in time because of this. And he couldn't help her. He can't even go back to warn her because he's stuck here!

"So all I can do it wait?" Klaus growled, fists clenching at his sides.

Sheila swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm afraid so."

He flashed to the door, ready to make his departure but she stopped him.

"Please, don't do anything rash. What you do in this time could have a great impact on the future. It is best that you stay hidden and wait to get sent back."

Despite the anger coursing through him, Klaus understood. He nodded slowly before disappearing out the door.

It was late evening by the time he reached her house. Although Sheila had told him to stay hidden, Klaus couldn't stop himself from paying a visit to the Salvatore boarding house. It was almost too good of an offer to pass up.

He didn't kill him. As much as Klaus wanted too, he knew that could all be done once he got back. For now he waltzed up to the steps, knocked on the door, and waited for the elder Salvatore to appear. He was taken aback when Stefan appeared but easily compelled him to forget their meeting. Before forgetting completely though, Klaus extracted the information of where Damon might be. To know he was gallivanting through town made Klaus groaned. It would take longer than he thought.

Though, he didn't know why he thought that originally. Of course the Salvatore would be wasting away his life at the local bar. Klaus found him flirting with a waitress, her soft giggles filling the room as she leaned into him. It took him little to no time in grabbing Damon by the collar, throwing the girl off of him and dragging him into the alley next to the Grill.

"What the fuck, man?" Damon spat, his drunken breath smacking Klaus in the face.

He said nothing though and raised his fist. It came crashing down on his left cheek, propelling him back against the brick wall. When the smell of blood filled the air, Klaus smiled and walked over to his victim.

Damon was squirming on the ground, his drunken state not helping him in the slightest. Klaus saw the fear flashing in his eyes but only relished in it.

_Good_, he thought, _this is what you deserve._

Klaus lifted him up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. His eyes dilated as a smile graced his lips.

"You will never look, think, speak or affiliate yourself with Caroline Forbes for the rest of your existence. You _will_ break all contact with her and separate yourself from her life as of now. If I ever see you so much as touch her, _I will break every bone in your body and feed you your liver._ Do you understand?"

Damon swallowed but nodded, blinking his eyes a few times as he was dropped to the floor.

Klaus wasted no time leaving the man and went off to the only place that seemed fit.

It was how he found himself here, at her home. He wasn't allowed inside yet so he was forced to watch from a window.

She was alone which deepened the frown on his face. It looked like she made herself something to eat, the remnants of it scattered on the coffee table in front of her. He saw a plastic tray with four holes in it, one larger than all of them put together. The smell made his nose wrinkle but she seemed to have enjoyed it since everything was gone.

He watched her now, snuggled up on the couch with a blanket covering herself. The house was dark, windows locked and closed as well as the door. She held herself tightly, eyes closed as she rested on the pillow. He couldn't help but stare at her younger features, so innocent and pure that he was afraid that even looking at her would taint that. She was magnificent as a human, still so strong even now. She could take care of herself when no one else could but he saw the loneliness eating away at her.

There was a moment, right before she fell asleep, where her eyes darted up the ceiling. It seemed that she whispered something quickly, so quiet and fast that through the window he wasn't able to hear it. Her eyes then closed and her breathing steadied along with it.

Now all that remained with a dancing yellow sponge on the television and an empty tray on the coffee table. He never realized how alone she was. With no father to watch after her or a mother to smile at, she was here to fend on her own. It saddened him because he never knew. She was always so happy, keeping her precious gang alive with her bubbly self that it didn't even occur to him that she was so deprived.

She sighed in her sleep and draped an arm over her face. It made his blood boil once again to see the puncture marks on her neck as she rolled over. At least he could breathe easier knowing that was over. Perhaps she would even thank him for it once he got back.

Klaus chuckled to himself.

_Yeah right._

A sudden wave of drowsiness washed over him and Klaus was taken aback as his eyelids grew heavy. He stumbled, grabbing onto the siding of the house as she tried to steady his breathing. His whole body felt limp as he slowly lowered himself to the ground, not understanding what was happening. He just came to see her, wanting to make sure she was alright.

That's all he's ever wanted.

He blinked his eyes once more before the world around him slipped into darkness.

* * *

_Present_

She didn't know what was happening.

It's been days now and her neck only seemed to increase in pain. She was laying on her bed now, hand gripping her aching flesh as she tossed and turned on the covers. No one knows she's here though she couldn't bring herself to move to even inform them.

Caroline attempted calling Klaus three more times. Each time led to a voicemail and her frantically explaining that he had to come back, that something wasn't right. She then texted him a dozen times while answering calls from Rebekah. Her shrilled and panicked voice gave Caroline a headache on top of the pain she was already feeling. She wanted to kill the girl because despite all of her efforts nothing was working.

He was simply missing.

She tried pulling herself up, reaching her arm out across the bed to grab her phone. Maybe one more time wouldn't hurt.

Just as her fingertips brushed against the plastic case of her phone, the pain stopped. It was just an abrupt release that she fell off the bed in shock. Her shriek filled the air and then her phone was buzzing, his name flashing across the screen. She couldn't comprehend it at first, not understanding that the pain was gone and he was back. So she missed the first call but he wasted no time in calling again and again and again.

Quickly Caroline answered the phone, her shaking voice filled the receiver.

"Klaus?"

"Caroline," he breathed, relief washing through her. She was still here, he had time.

"Where were you?" She suddenly snapped, the annoyance in her voice definate. "Your sister has been driving me up a wall and now all of a sudden you reappear? What happened? I needed you-" She stopped short, the confession something she wasn't even aware of herself. She bit her lip, silence filling the phone. A part of her wanted to retract it, to say it wasn't true.

But that would be a lie.

"I'm coming," he finally answered and she heard the smirk in his voice. "Just stay where you are. I have a lot to explain."

She huffed but was secretly grateful. "Where would I go?"

Klaus was running as fast as he could, smiling into the phone as her voice came through. He didn't realize how much he missed it.

"I don't know, love," he said before hanging up.

But it was no use.

It didn't matter how fast he ran.

Or how badly he wanted to see her.

By the time he reached her bedroom, Caroline was gone.

* * *

**So that was chapter two! I tried to fit in as much as possible but also by doing it my own way. I want to remind everyone that this is an AU story so I'm going to be changing a lot up and doing it completely different from TVD. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**I'm not sure when the next update will be. School starts next week for me and I also got a job so writing is kind of going to be second to all those thing, I hope you understand! I will try to get updates out as soon as I can though! So try and be patient with me.**

**Again I hope you enjoyed this and please tell me what you think! I love reading whatever you have to say!**

**Have a great week! (:**


	3. Chapter 3

_Present_

He stood there for a while, looking at the walls of her empty room.

There was a mug of something steaming on her bedside table and the covers of her bed were ruffled with pillows tossed askew. She seemed to be working on something at her desk, a textbook open along with some pieces of paper with scribblings on it. He didn't have the energy to look at it though, too deflated with failure that he could barely move his eyes.

If he had only run a little faster, or if he had realized it a little sooner then maybe he could have warned her.

But now she's gone, thrown into an unknown time dimension while being as ignorant as he first was.

How could he let this happen? He should have just told her on the phone, and explained it quickly because he didn't know if he'd make it.

Apparently he should've listen to his instincts.

With one final glance around the room and a violent kick of a stuffed animal on the floor, he flashed away.

There was someone he needed to see.

* * *

_They had settled somewhere different on their second day together. When she arrived he asked if the garden would suffice since it was such a beautiful day._

"_And why waste it stuffed up inside?" He had said._

_She agreed as it didn't matter much to her. She never suspected him to be someone who cared about sunny and warm days where the sky was blue and not one cloud could be seen. But she was astonished to see his face brighten as they walked out into the backyard. He smiled as his gaze had fallen onto the dense forest in the back and his eyes sparkled as the birds chirped._

_It was a sight she never thought she'd see._

"_That's better," he said, motioning for her to sit in one of the chairs._

_She settled herself, arms going onto the rests as she leaned back._

_It was this relaxed position that he found her in. There was a small smile that he caught on her face as she soaked up the sun and he couldn't help but smile too. He could watch her all day like this because for once, the hatred in her eyes was gone. _

"_What?" She said, bringing him back._

_He stared at her for a second before smiling. "Nothing, love. So how was your day?"_

_She shrugged, still reclined in the chair. "Okay I guess. I didn't go to school because everyone is still _so_ obsessed about the stupid cure."_

_Klaus raised his eyebrows before nodding his head slowly. "And you're not as quote, 'obsessed', with it as they are?"_

"_No," she said quickly, folding her arms across her chest. "It's all for Elena, anyway, and we all know that one of those boys will end up taking the cure for her." She wrinkled her nose._

_He paused, not sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question he was about to ask. A part of him knows he shouldn't care, it's her decision. But he can't help the pang in his heart as he thought of the thing he didn't want to hear._

"_What would you do, though?" He asked slowly. "If...if they found the cure?"_

_She licked her lips, as if preparing to answer him, though she paused. But it was only for a moment. "I'm supposed to say yes or at least...that's what I think they would want me to say. Because being a vampire is horrible, right?" Caroline shook her head smiling, though it never reached her eyes. "I don't think it's horrible, to be honest," she whispered next, "Does that make me a bad person?"_

"_For liking who you are?" He couldn't help but sound relieved. _

_Caroline shrugged. "But is this who I am? I mean I was human, for seventeen years I was someone and now suddenly I'm someone else." She sighed and turned her head to the forest before speaking again. "You wouldn't have liked me much when I was human."_

"_So you prefer who you are now to the girl you once were?"_

"_Of course...I would never go back."_

_Klaus nodded, placing his laced fingers under his chin. "Then you have your answer."_

_Caroline frowned, looking down at her hands. She supposed he was right, something that was happening more than she liked, but he wouldn't understand. It didn't matter what she wanted. No matter what her choice would be judged and sometimes she wished there wasn't anything to choose from in the first place._

"_What about you? I'm guessing it's a no."_

_Klaus smiled. "You know what they say when you assume."_

"_So you would like to be human again?"_

_He shook his head. "I didn't even like _being_ human so I couldn't imagine ever going back."_

_Caroline cocked her head to the side. "Why? I mean I didn't like my human self but that didn't mean I hated being human."_

_His eyes glanced to the time on his watch and he took that as an advantage. She didn't need to know that much about his life and he was in no mood of explaining it. Perhaps at a different time._

"_As much as I'd love to continue this conversation, it seems I've eaten up all your time."_

_She seemed confused at first but upon realizing the time she sprang from her feet in a haste. "Oh my God! Wow time sure flies when you're-" She was gathering all her things, not understanding what she said until he was merely inches from her._

"_Fun?" He whispered, breath ghosting past hers. "You mean when you're having fun?"_

_Caroline's eyes connected with his briefly and she smiled, something he loved seeing. "In your dreams."_

_And she flashed away._

* * *

_Chicago, 1923_

Caroline awoke from the memory abruptly, eyes flashing open. Her cheek was pressed against cold concrete, hands splayed out in front of her as she slowly pushed herself up.

A street light shone over her and there was soft music coming from behind her. Night had fallen and if she looked up closely to the sky she could see the same flicker of stars poking their way through. For a moment she forgot and admired the beauty of it, almost smiling before it hit her.

It came back slowly. She was sitting on the bed, the pain nearly consuming her when he called. She remembers how abruptly it stopped, the anxiousness in his voice as he told her to stay put. Although she didn't understand why he was acting the way he was or why he had disappeared for so long, she knew there wasn't anywhere else she would go to. She needed him in that moment as she worried the bite had come back. But then everything fades, the world going dark around her. The last thing she remembers is the phone slipping from her fingers and the black...all black.

And now she's here, on a city street and...and _dressed_.

Caroline nearly screamed when she saw what she was wearing. It resembled the dress she wore to the decade dance, red beads and fabric with just a little bit of sparkle. Her hands were covered in white gloves and bracelets and she even had on the matching shoes.

"What the-"

"Hey!" Someone called from the end of the street. It was a woman about a few years older than her, dressed in something similar only silver instead of red. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with curls framing her face. She had bright pink lips and was waving her arms frantically in the air. A few girls joined her as she made her way over to Caroline.

"Excuse me?" Caroline said, stepping hesitantly towards the group.

"Could you tell us which one you came from?" She asked, the girls giggling behind her.

Caroline took them all in carefully. The outfits, the smiles, the makeup. Her eyes drifted behind them, to what was parked on the streets and even tuned in again to the music filling the background. It was like she was in some movie. But it couldn't be-

"I heard _Club Lucky_ was on this block?" The other girl said.

Caroline tried speaking but that's when someone stumbled out of a door in the alley behind her. They were a couple, arm in arm as they laughed together. The smell of booze and cigarette smoke filled the air but she watched in amazement as the girls in front of her squealed with delight.

"I _told_ you it was down here, Dorothy." One of them said, nudging the woman before heading straight.

The two girls left but one hung back, linking her arm with Caroline's as she began to walk.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked, trying to wrench herself away from the woman.

"Well you're obviously dressed to go out and I hate being the third wheel."

Caroline shook her head and stepped away from the woman. "No, you don't understand. I don't belong here. This isn't-"

The woman smiled, shaking her head. "I know it's hard to get used to at first but trust me, once you loosen up you'll have the time of your life!"

Caroline shook her head again because the woman simply wasn't understanding. If only she really knew what was going on. But before Caroline had a chance to explain further, the woman grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her towards the girls. They were already being let in, one of them pointing to Caroline and the woman as if to say they were with them. The man by the door was smiling, nodding at each of them as they passed. He especially eyed the woman pushing Caroline, his eyes sparkling as he met hers.

But there wasn't anymore time to think. She stumbled through the entrance and into a dark hallway. The woman was guiding her through, giggling along with the other girls. Caroline blinked only once and it seemed, when she opened her eyes, that she was transported to a completely different place.

A stage stood right in front of her. On it stood a beautiful woman hugging the microphone, her vibrato echoing throughout the room. It was a slower song so not many people were dancing but they were talking, laughing and shouting from all over the room. Most of the men hung by the bar, dressed in suits and ties with their hair slicked back. They were holding either tumblers or glasses of champagne, one hand clutching their drink while the other hung on tight to a woman. Everyone seemed to have someone be it in the booths lining the walls or the dance floor where the a partner was near mandatory.

She's never seen anything like it. The atmosphere was so lively, so full of light and life that it seemed almost overwhelming. Everyone was smiling, everyone was drinking and there wasn't a single person in the whole room which a sour look on their face. Caroline couldn't imagine such a thing. It seemed like these people didn't possess a care in the world. Well they were breaking the law, after all, might as well let everything else go. She wished she could be like that, just forget about it all for one night and embrace it.

"We're going to introduce you to one of my friends. She just moved here a few weeks ago and I know she'd love to meet you."

Caroline tried shaking her head. The reality of the situation began to sink in again because little did they know that she didn't belong here. This wasn't right and none of it made sense. She had to either wake up or get to the bottom of it on her own. Because this was either a terrifying nightmare or a spell gone horribly wrong.

"Rebekah I'd like you to meet-"

And then their eyes connected. You hear about it in movies all the time, in romance books that girls swoon over but you never really believe it could happen. After all it's such a crowded place, how could they ever find one another?

But of course, _of course_, she finds those blue eyes by the bar. He's nursing a drink in his right hand and wearing a grin on his lips. She never thought he'd look good in this kind of time frame, the whole slicked hair and _happy_ atmosphere just didn't seem like something Klaus would fit into. But, oh, how she was mistaken.

He was dressed differently from nearly everyone in the room, contrasting beautifully against the black in his white suit. You would think he'd stick out like a sore thumb but it seemed like the opposite. He blended in perfectly but had this glow about him that no one else could mimick. She's never seen him so happy, with his bright eyes and joyful laugh as someone said something next to him. It's a side of him she's never seen and she was so taken aback by it she didn't realize Rebekah coming up to her. She didn't realize that he was staring _back _and excusing himself from his group.

He was coming over and-

"I'm sorry! I never even asked you your name!" The woman exclaimed, laughing with the other girls as a waiter brought them over something to drink.

Caroline was too busy staring at Rebekah and then towards Klaus to realize what they said.

"Excuse me?" Rebekah's annoyed voice filled her eyes and she snapped back.

"I'm sorry what?" Caroline said, swallowing hard.

The woman smiled. "Your name."

"Oh!" She brought out her hand and tried to stop the shaking as Rebekah took it. "I'm Caroline."

"Caroline," came a voice behind them and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard it. "What a beautiful name."

Rebekah rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Nik! Could you leave my friends alone for two seconds? We don't need you breathing down our necks the whole night."

Klaus barely heard her, too enamored by the sight of this woman to bother hearing what his sister had to say. This woman, _Caroline_, was someone he's never seen before. She had to be new as it appeared she was lost when she first walked in. He saw her before anyone else, the confusion washed over her face but being quickly replaced by the awe. He wondered by it was so confusing, and it intrigued him that her features were so contorted with one look at the room. Hasn't she seen something like this before? But it didn't seem to matter moments later since it overwhelmed her in a sense that only made her feel joy. The beauty of everything consuming her and that's when their eyes met. Those eyes made him forget whatever was flowing through his head and replaced it with her.

_Caroline_.

"I'm Nik," he held out his hand, pushing past the women and going straight towards her.

Caroline stared at his hands, thinking about how much blood he shed with them. The amount of people he killed and tortured with those beautiful, calloused hands. It was hard to think that they were wasted with all the wrong while they could be doing all the good.

Her eyes met his and she tried to appeared unphased. It was so much easier back home but now...it was at least ninety years before anything between them even happened. They weren't anywhere near Mystic Falls and he doesn't know Elena will be born in seventy years. Right now he's just Klaus Mikaelson, big bad hybrid enjoying a drink.

There were so many times where she wished to forget all of the horrible things that he's done. That he never killed Jenna and Tyler's mother, that he never hunted her best friend and destroyed Stefan. But it was hard. Usually when she lists them all out, writes them down on a sticky note she can see how horrible he actually is. It didn't matter that he sometimes listened to her or saved her (even though he was the one to put her in danger), he was still Klaus.

She was trying her hardest to remember all these things as he broke through their group to her. As always those eyes never seemed to stray anywhere else.

"I don't mean to interrupt," he says then. Her face is like a statue and her eyes seem hollowed out. It's like she's processing something he isn't quite sure of. He doesn't know if she's getting ready to storm away or smile. That's never happened with a woman before. People talked for years about the mystery of them but Klaus always thought they were so easy. But perhaps they had something going for them.

"It's fine," Caroline says and her voice isn't even above a whisper but she knows he can hear it. And it's as if he registers, in that moment, what she really is. Of course it only makes him happier and he takes a step closer, teeth bearing into a wide grin.

"Care to dance?"

She should refuse, scoff that perfect scoff of hers and throw the drink that was placed in her hand minutes before all over his suit. That's what _should_ have happened. But instead she found herself smiling, she actually smiled like a schoolgirl and placed her hand in his. It was so warm and she's a vampire so she shouldn't know the difference, shouldn't feel it send a jolt through her whole body but she did.

And it felt amazing.

* * *

_Present_

He came storming through the Salvatore home, busting the door open and speeding into the living room. It seemed he had just crashed a the gang's meeting seeing as the lot of them were crowded on the couch, serious expressions coloring their faces. But to his surprise, most of the anger and sorrow they were showing wasn't directed at him.

"Sure, come on in." Damon called from the other side of the room. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow raised. For once he seemed to be the farthest person from the liquor station.

"Sorry to interrupt." Klaus said, smirking slightly as he came further into the room. "But it seems we have a problem."

Stefan sighed. "Yeah and we're trying to deal with it." There was an edge to his voice that Klaus had rarely ever heard. His eyes were squinted and darker than usual, with a rigid stance on the couch. Klaus couldn't help but notice him glancing back at Damon every now and then, fists clenched at his sides as Bonnie whispered things to him.

But Klaus didn't come here for their drama.

"I think that is where we differ, mate."

Damon pushed himself off the wall and began to walk towards him. "What do you mean? Elena-"

"I don't give a damn about your bloody doppelganger." And then it dawned on them that they hadn't even realized it. He laughed. "You're all unbelievable."

This time it was Bonnie who stood up, anger plain on her face. "What are you talking about? We don't have time to play games."

"Hm, let's see." Klaus grinned and placed his hands behind his back. "One, two and three." He counted everyone in the room; Damon, Stefan and Bonnie. "Now assuming that the doppelganger's absence is excused...we _are _missing one _gorgeous_ blonde spit fire. But it seems as though none of you noticed."

The room fell silent, as if each and everyone one of them realized their wrong-doing. They didn't bother denying it but he still expected their reactions. Stefan immediately seemed worried, he stepped closer towards Klaus as the guilt began tugging at his features. How could he not know she was missing? He had just spoken to her the other day. The_ other _day….

Bonnie's eyes winced and she crossed her arms over her chest, an eyebrow raised. He saw the skepticism as she wrote off every word he said, not taking the time to consider if his words were true or not. Klaus didn't expect anything less from her.

Klaus was shaking his head, couldn't contain the anger he was feeling any longer. These people hardly deserve to know where she is seeing as they didn't even know she was _gone._ He was practically restraining himself from tearing every one of their heads off. He didn't even know where to be begin and very much doubted that they'd even believe him. It did sound rather _crazy_ though that she was sent back in time. But sometimes the craziest things are true.

"He's lying." Damon drawled, rolling his eyes. "I bet if I called her now she'd pick up."

"Go ahead," Klaus laughed, his lips pulling up into a smirk as he looked at him. "I dare you."

Bonnie held her breath as Damon began to dial, his eyes still rolling.

It rang four times before going to voice-mail and the sound of her voice echoing through the room made Klaus' jaw clench.

"What will it take for you people to realize that sometimes, almost all the time, I'm right?" Klaus raced to the other side of the room, broke a lamp post in half and jammed it into Damon's stomach. "I'm just," he twisted the wooden rod in deeper, "_bloody_ right."

"I don't think that's really necessary. If you can just tell us what-" Stefan offered, trying to put out the growing fire between the two men.

"Uh," Klaus' attention focused solely on Damon, "I think it is. You see, what I'm about to say seems absolutely ridiculous. Although it shouldn't since we all seem to exist. You know the vampires, witches, werewolves and such. Apparently _that's_ supposed to be the cold hard fiction." He pushed the rod in deeper as Damon screamed. "But days ago while I laid trapped within the Gilbert home, waiting for your curse to wear off, something happened. I fell asleep and although I awoke in the same home...the time was rather different.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked through gritted teeth.

Klaus pushed the rod into the wall so Damon remained stuck there. "What I mean is I woke up in October of 2009."

Bonnie was shaking her head, face paling as she looked at Klaus. "No…that can't be possible."

"Oh I assure you, it is." He stepped towards her. "I had a lovely chat with your grandmother who explained it all to me. Though," he glanced at Damon, "I'm starting to think she got a few things wrong."

"What-" Damon gasped, taking a deep breath. "Do I have to do with anything?"

Klaus smiled. "Well see that's the fun part. I had the pleasure of viewing your _relationship _with Caroline or should we even call it that? I believe it was more of a _forced_ partnership, was it not?"

Stefan sighed. "Klaus-"

"I mean that does explain many attributes that Caroline possesses. Have we all forgotten about it though? Just like you forgot about her now?" He shook his head and surveyed everyone in the room. "I thought that since I was in fact in the past I could change things or at least better them somehow. I'm not _that_ horrible of a person. So I compelled Damon to forget her, to completely extract himself from her life and to never speak to her again. I was even warned from your grandmother that what I did had the power to change things. But," he glanced at Damon and then back to Stefan and Bonnie, "Apparently she was wrong."

Bonnie was shaking her head, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why would she give you wrong information?"

"Perhaps she simply didn't know."

"What spell did she say put you through this."

Klaus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's wasn't a spell...it was a curse."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "Not even close. Spells are ancient, they're concrete and reliable because they never change. But curses are different." Her eyes flickered to Klaus. "They're unique to whomever they're set upon and they change. What she could have said then may not have applied to you now, in this time."

"_Hello_?" Damon gasped, waving his arms from the other side of the room.

Bonnie ignored him. "What curse did she say it was?"

Klaus looked to Bonnie and then Stefan before focusing on something in the back of the room.

_This ought to be good_, he thought.

"A mate's curse."

The only person that made a sound was Damon. His bellowing laughter filled the room but not one of them turned to acknowledge him. They all seemed to be taking it in silently with Stefan the only one expressing some sort of discomfort. Bonnie seemed utterly furious.

"Are you _joking_?"

Stefan glanced towards him. "What do you mean?"

"You're telling me you've never heard of it?" Klaus ignored the question and instead challenged Bonnie.

"I've heard of it before and studied it _briefly _when I came across it in one of my grimoires. It's when two supernatural creatures are fated to be together. When the bond is so strong and so many things are standing in their way, that's when the curse activates. But it's a curse for a reason." Her tone of voice lowered and her eyes shifted from Klaus to Stefan. "But I don't think, under any circumstances, that it applies to you and Caroline."

Klaus shook his head. "That's not my point. I barely know what this means but it's sending us back in time, _witch_. Caroline is somewhere in the past and we have no idea when or where that is. Doesn't that mean anything to you at all?"

"Of course it does." Stefan said sternly before giving Bonnie a hard look. "What she's trying to say it that it may be hard to buy into this knowing your history."

"I don't like this. She doesn't deserve this, to be wrapped up in something she never asked for." She stepped towards Klaus, all the fear seeming to slip away. "I bet this was just a plan for you to finally win her over. To prove us wrong once and for all, am I right?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, that she would insinuate something like that.

"You think this is a game to me?" He hissed, closing some of the distance between them.

She said nothing, swallowing hard before nodding her head.

"Why the bloody hell would I send myself back in time? Why would I _jeopardize _my life and even Caroline's?" His eyes winced and he thought no one could have asked a more idiotic question.

"Because you're evil...because you've killed thousands of people including Elena's aunt and Tyler's mom. You're not good and sometimes I don't see why Caroline is so hesitant in our plans with you. She can't see that you'll do anything to get what you want."

"And apparently this is my way, hmm?"

Stefan stepped in then. "No, it's not. Bonnie could you please just tell us what else you know? If he's telling the truth then we're not helping Caroline by arguing."

She sighed, tightened her crossed arms around herself and grumbled something under her breath. She didn't agree with helping him even if he was telling the truth. He shouldn't have anything to do with her. Her and Stefan were all Caroline needed in this. They would save her and _not_ him.

"All I know is that you go back in time and can interact with people from that period as it were real life but you can never change anything. That's the catch of the 're supposed to go and witness what you're meant to see about that person. Sometimes it's painfully hard and it might make you want to change the past but that's the whole point. Part of the curse means you have to live your partner's pain and understand more about them. Then the cycle keeps going."

Stefan ran a hand through his hair. "So you were sent back to 2009...when Caroline and Damon were..."

Damon had finally managed to pull the rod out from his stomach. He fell to his knees on the ground, coughing and wheezing as blood dripped from his lips. His eyes glared towards Klaus and he weakly sped over to him, as if that would some how intimidate him.

"We were nothing." Damon spat, shaking his head. "I don't deserve any of this because nothing ever happened! She wanted me and she had me but now it's over. The more important thing right now is Elen-"

He never got to finish his sentence because Stefan snapped his neck, so fast that even Klaus was taken off guard.

"He doesn't know what he's saying." Stefan said quietly. "Last night he compelled Elena to turn off her humanity and we haven't seen her since. He's just worried."

"That's not my problem, mate." Klaus said. "What I want to know is where Caroline was sent to and how we can stop this whole curse. If she really does get sent back to parts of my past then that could be hundreds of years ago, way before all of your times."

"I can't stop this," Bonnie said sternly, her chin lifting up. "It's a curse, Klaus, it can't just be stopped. The cycle will run its course until you've both seen what's necessary. There's nothing I can do just like my Grams couldn't do anything either. We can help Caroline prepare but that's all I'm going to do."

Klaus was shaking his head, beginning to pace now. "But why us?" He finally asked. "I never asked for this, never messed with a witch so immensely that they would have reason for this."

Bonnie tried to remain emotionless, to not let his confusion get to her. "I'll look into more tonight. All we can do now is wait for the cycle to restart."

"But how long will that be?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know. Like I said I'll leave now to look into it more. Meanwhile you can stay here and keep the Elena situation under control. That's all I can do."

Klaus was still annoyed with the witches comments but retained some restraint while talking. He had finally got them somewhat on his side and he wasn't going to blow it. "I'd like to be kept informed of any details you discover. In turn I'll update you if anything happens with Caroline."

Bonnie nodded slowly. "Fair enough."

"Very well."

Without another word, Klaus was gone.

* * *

_Chicago, 1923_

He spun her around the room for what seemed like hours and when he finally seemed to tire of it he brought her to the bar. The few girls that were crowding the stools moved but not before flaunting themselves towards him. Although he smiled and acknowledged them, his attention never left Caroline. She had felt his eyes roam her face when they danced and whenever her attention was caught someplace else. At first it made her feel self conscious and she nearly squirmed every time their eyes met. All she could think about was their time at the ball, how they danced and he told her he'd take her anywhere.

_Paris, Rome, Tokyo…._

"I hope you like a French 75 because I ordered us a whole a bottle." He murmured in her, chuckling lowly as he began pouring her a glass.

She had no idea what a French 75 was but when he popped the bottle open and the foamed seeped out from the spout she wanted to laugh. It appears some things never change.

"It's fine," she said and took the glass from his hand. "Thank you." Slowly she brought it to her lips and instantly she smelled the faintest hint of blood laced within the bubbling liquid. Her eyes widened slightly but Klaus barely noticed.

He nodded his head and sat beside her before taking a sip. "I haven't seen you around here before."

Caroline felt the anxiety bubble in her stomach because of course he wouldn't have seen her, she doesn't belong here. Their dance momentarily made her forget everything wrong about the situation. That she really belongs in 2012 back in Mystic Falls not here in a speakeasy during Prohibition.

"Uh," her eyes fluttered down as she shifted in her seat. "I'm just passing through."

He nodded though didn't seem quite convinced. "Wanted to see one of these in person?" When she expressed a confused look he elaborated. "It seems as though you've never been to one of these before. You looked rather stunned upon entering."

She felt her cheeks redden and silently cursed herself. Nevertheless she shrugged and crossed her left leg over her right. "I've been told all about them and the ones down south are nothing compared to these."

At that he smiled, something so wide and dazzling she almost fell off her seat. Klaus, back in her time, would never dare to express such happiness. At least...she's never seen him this way.

"They're amazing, aren't they? I've never experienced anything quite like it."

She nodded in agreement.

"And are you enjoying yourself, Caroline?"

It was different to hear him speak her name. It was always 'love' or 'sweetheart', a soft purr of a nickname she never consented to. But he was saying her name every minute it seemed, relishing in the way it sounded rolling off his tongue. She never thought something as simple as her name could bring such a joy to one man. For a moment she thought what went through his mind whenever she whispered his name, when it wasn't in disgust that is.

She was brought back to him when he repeated his question, laughing softly as she snapped back into reality. When she thought about it, Caroline doesn't remember the last time she had _this_ much fun. And although it was with Klaus and she was over ninety years in the past, she couldn't think of a place she'd rather be. The atmosphere was addicting, the drinks never tasted better and the men certainly weren't half bad. She wasn't referring to Klaus though...absolutely not _Klaus_.

Or should she call him Nik? She didn't necessarily like the version of his name, didn't think it suited the person he was. Klaus was more vindictive, had a touch more evil to it than Nik. Nik held this innocence she didn't think he was capable of. She refused to use it.

"I'm having a great time," she finally whispered.

He nodded, flashed her that signature smiling and he was about to say something else when a man came up behind him. His hand slapped him on the shoulder as a bellowing laughter sounded. She nearly fell off her seat when she saw Stefan, hair slicked back and dressed in a black suit. He was holding a drink in his hand as his eyes scanned Caroline over. By the look he was giving her he surely wasn't disappointed.

"Klaus! I thought I lost you!"

Klaus smiled. "Can't function without me, mate?"

"I'm fine, but I don't think your sister is." His eyes shifted towards Caroline and he held out his hand. "I don't believe we've met."

_Oh we've met,_ Caroline thought but smiled regardless. "No, we haven't. I'm Caroline."

"_Caroline_," Stefan smiled, obviously approving. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. You must be new, I'm Stefan."

Caroline rolled her eyes at his cheap line and shook his hand. Klaus took the liberty of refilling her glass and she took it greedily. But she nearly spit out it's contents when she heard the word uttered by Stefan.

"_Vampire_,"

Her glass dropped and shattered to the floor.

"Interesting."

Klaus' eyes darkened. "Ripper...you know how sensitive we are to that word around here."

Stefan shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. "I'm merely intrigued. I haven't been around another one since I've met you and Rebekah. This could get interesting." He raised his eyebrows slightly which only granted a growl to erupt from Klaus' throat.

"Perhaps you should go have a drink."

Caroline swallowed because she knew exactly what that meant. She tried to ignore it and bent down to pick up the shattered pieces. When Stefan left she felt a hand on the small of her back followed by a soft whisper.

"Don't fret. We'll have someone take care of that."

She smiled tentatively at him. "I didn't mean to cause trouble." Her eyes shifted around the room as she hopped off the stool. "I should be going anyway." Although she had no idea where she would go, what she would do. The only place she felt remotely okay with was here..._with him. _That scared her more than she'd ever let on.

"Go?" He seemed disappointed but quickly masked it. "Not without one more dance."

She was worried because time was slipping away and that rock was settling within her stomach again. But he was already taking her hand and a new song started playing, something slower than all the previous ones. Again she was brought back to that night at his mansion, when Damon and Elena were twirling beside her and Matt and Rebekah were somewhere on the other side. She remembers him saying something about how well she danced and she retorted with a comment that made him smile. It wasn't so long ago yet so much has changed. She wished things could be simple again. That none of this was ever possible and she was still that cheerleader in high school. All of that was easier than witches and vampires and werewolves and thousand year old hybrids.

She didn't realize she was shaking with beads of sweat forming on the side of her face. He noticed it though and spun her around, lowering his lips close to her ear.

"This may be overwhelming now as you're only a child in this form. But it gets easier. There's so much in this world that's worth seeing and you have the privilege of forever to discover it."

It was funny because he thought she was nervous about this life, the atmosphere that was seeming to slowly swallow her whole. She wished it was simply that. And she was struck with how familiar those words were. It made her wonder why he thought the world was such a great place to discover, why it was even worth waking up to each morning. Life has proven to her so far that there isn't much to smile about. It only makes you want to scream.

"I think I've heard that somewhere before."

"Really? Was it from someone as handsome as me?"

She laughed, something so genuine it even shocked her. "Perhaps."

He nodded his head. "I see."

The song soon finished and many people began clapping. A song of faster pace soon followed and Caroline made an exit towards the door, trying to beat the crowds running towards the floor. She couldn't shake Klaus though. He was in front of her in seconds, smirking down at her as he blocked the door.

"I said I had to go." She said, raising an eyebrow to him as his smile widened.

"Don't I deserve a farewell?"

_Stubborn asshole,_ she thought. "I suppose so." Caroline smiled, hesitated for a moment before reaching her hand out. "Goodbye..._Nik_," she only called him that because it was how he introduced himself to her. "It was nice meeting you."

"No, Caroline," Klaus took her hand and brought her closer towards him. His lips were gracing her cheek before she realize it and she felt his breath blow down her neck. "The pleasure was all mine."

She was about to say something, to either fire back or melt completely when a gunshot was fired. From across the room she heard Rebekah yelling Klaus' name, the panic evident in her voice. She was on the second floor of the building, racing down the stairs as Stefan followed close behind her.

Caroline doesn't remember this part of the story. All she knew was that Stefan and Klaus had spent time in this decade together, roaming around the streets of Chicago on a blood high. No one mentioned the fear and what seemed to be..._running._

Klaus gently turned Caroline's face towards him and she saw the sadness residing behind his eyes. He was breathing heavily, sweat collecting on the side of his face as their eyes connected. For a second she thought he was going to kiss her, to lean down and commit the deed that's been plaguing her mind. But what was scarier was she would have let him.

Yet...it wasn't that. He did it so quickly that Stefan and Rebekah hadn't reached them yet even after he finished.

"_You won't remember any of this. I want you to forget this place, the street you were on and forget this city. Forget Rebekah and Stefan and...forget me. You've never seen me before and if we ever meet again you won't remember my name. Get as far as from here as possible and never come back."_

Caroline blinked a few times, wondering why he was compelling her and why it wasn't working. She watched as he gathered Rebekah, as the people fled from the bar and called Stefan over. Quickly he did the same thing to him while Rebekah begged him to stop, tears streaming down her face as Stefan nodded blankly towards them. Klaus wasted no time in prying her away, dragging her to the door as he hissed under his breath at her protests. But there was another crash, the door swung open with men pouring inside. analyze

That's when she felt herself fading, her body coming lighter with each passing second. The bar had been completely liquidated, music dead at the stage and not a single person with a smile on her face. Before she faded completely, before her eyes succumbed to the darkness enveloping her, she him.

_Mikael._

* * *

_Present_

Bonnie hadn't contacted him yet and when he did call to nag her on it she told him to be patient. She surely couldn't do much with him breathing down her neck. A part of him knew she was right but the other wanted to wring her neck until all the answers came pouring out from her mouth. Though he wasn't sure how Caroline would feel about that.

_Caroline_.

It's almost been two days now and she still hasn't returned. He wondered where she was sent to, what she endured while she was there. He hoped to God it wasn't a thousand years ago and internally cringed at the thought. Not only was it completely dangerous but incredibly embarrassing. She'd see him as a human, a weak, fragile little human who never had the courage to stand up to his father. And after hundreds of years running he finally did it. He put the bastard down for good. But the thought of Caroline coming into contact with him made Klaus' stomach churn. It only made him want to stop this curse even more.

He paced in his mansion for a few hours and when a rut began to form in the carpet he left.

Destination: Unknown.

He walked for a while, ran through the woods and did a few loops around the town square. All the while doing a beeline for her house, never coming too close to it. He didn't want to be tempted, to torture himself with the fact that she wasn't here. But she was slowly becoming an addiction, one he'd never grow tired of.

It was mere minutes until he arrived at her home. Her mother's car was gone and all the lights in the house were off. He sighed and leaned against Caroline's car, arms folded across her chest as he stared at the house. For a moment he was brought back to the time he was given; 2009.

She was so young, even more full of light than he realized. But there was also that darkness. The pain brought him both Damon and her mother, the loneliness that crept up in the night when the house was empty with only her to fill it. He didn't understand the feelings inside of him that stirred, the pain that made his heart ache at the sight of her. But he knew he never wanted her to feel that way again and if she'd let him, he'd search the whole world for a solution. Because she didn't deserve. Some perhaps, yes, but never Caroline.

She was far too good for any of it.

He was turned to leave when he heard it. A crash sounded from the right side of the house, deep inside from where he was standing. Then a soft moan sounded along with some shuffling and a sniffle. His hands began to shake and before he knew what he was doing he was tearing through the house, flicking on light after light until he saw her.

She was pushing herself off the ground, tears stained on her cheeks. His eyes widened to her clothes because he couldn't believe it. A red flapper dress,smoke thing similar to what she wore to the silly high school dance ages ago. But this was more original, more true to what they actually looked like. He almost wanted to smile at the memories that came back to him. But he saw that she was shaking, tears slipped from her eyes as she tried to steady her shaking body. He was so overcome with relief that he almost missed her falling apart.

Slowly Caroline looked up at him, not the least bit frightened that he was there. She wiped her eyes and straightened herself up, chin high in the air.

She took a deep breath.

"We need to talk."

* * *

**AHHHHH I'M BACK! Literally this chapter has given me hell but after hours of editing and fixing and beta talk it's all good. **

**I hope you liked it. There were a few things I wanted to change because I was so undecided about if the future was going to change or not and I think for this particular story that it won't fit as well. It's more of a curse, them experiencing their pasts and changing the future I think would complicate things. So I hope that doesn't disappoint because they're still traveling and interacting!**

**So tell me what you think because I'm dying to know. Thoughts, comments, concerns and always constructive (:**

**Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! Happy Almost Friday!**


	4. Chapter 4

"We need to talk."

She felt sick standing in front of him, exposed somehow as he looked at her. The curls were falling out of her hair and she even lost a shoe. Her hands were trembling and the strength she was using to keep herself together didn't matter, it was crumbling faster than she realized.

She didn't know why this was so much. Maybe because she was thrusted back ninety years in the past with no warning at all. That she was alone and confused and with _him_ of all people. Perhaps that's what was messing with her mind the most. Of all places to be sent to, why the 20's and why to the exact same time that Klaus and Stefan were living out their glory days? She could still see Klaus' bright, carefree smile as he took her out onto the dancefloor. He was so full of light, possessing a sort of happiness she never thought him capable of.

And he liked her. From the minute he saw her he was drawn to her and she felt like she never left home as he was still his annoying, pestering self. It couldn't have been more confusing. How could one man have so many sides to him?

She wasn't even having a bad time. If you took away the utter confusion and fear of an unknown place, she actually didn't mind the 20s. Everything about it was beautiful. The glitz, the glamour, the booze. Women dancing until they dropped and men consuming enough alcohol to make them think they were on a different planet. She loved how the era required nothing of someone except themselves. There were no worries or fears, just the sheer joy of being alive.

Although...she couldn't say there weren't any fears. Fear was the whole reason her night was cut short.

Those eyes were burned into her mind. Those cold piercing eyes that stared at her before she disappeared. He spotted her from across the way, long after Klaus and Rebekah had fled. It didn't register until now why they were in such a rush, why he compelled her and bolted out of there faster than light itself. He erased any evidence of his presence and practically dragged Rebekah from Stefan and her fun. Caroline saw the fear in both of them as they made their escape, no looks back as she began to fade in front of their eyes. All she could remember was Mikael, and the fear itself that he seemed to ignite within everyone. It teared her up the most.

"Are you alright?"

She wanted to smack him because, _God_, did she look okay? Did she resemble anyone who seems to be anywhere near fine?

"Caroline-" he stepped closer to her but she recoiled instantly.

"What happened?" She wanted to sound strong, to be tough and triumphant. As though the past hours or days or however long she was gone meant nothing. But who wouldn't be freaking out? She tried reasoning with herself, to make the guilt go away for being so weak. It was perfectly acceptable to be breaking because this wasn't normal. Being thrown back in time all alone to fend for yourself wasn't normal or okay on any level. All she wanted was to go home and now that she was she had no idea what to do with herself.

Obviously something mental was going on within her but he just had to know if she was alright. That she wasn't dying of a werewolf bite or that vervain wasn't coursing through her system. He could fix everything else but her death.

Caroline closed her eyes tightly, pressing her lips together. She nodded fast, making it nearly unnoticeable to anyone else but he saw it. That was all the confirmation he needed.

"I'm...I'm fine." She whispered, running a hand through her hair. She stumbled slightly as she tried to remove her other shoe and took the remnants of the pins out of her hair. Her eyes flickered to his briefly as she walked to the bed, brushing things off to the floor as she took a seat. "Now...can you tell me what's going on?"

"Where were you sent?" He merely avoided her question, going straight to what he's been wondering ever since he saw her. By the way she was dressed it was obvious, but he needed to hear her say it.

She took a deep breath and avoided his eyes. It seemed like ever since she returned she couldn't look at him fully yet. He wondered what she saw, what probed her to come back in the first place. If she was sent back to the twenties he could only imagine what she saw. The drinking, the women, the feeding...no wonder she wouldn't look at him.

"1923. I woke up on a street in Chicago by an alley and met these girls who were apparently friends of Rebekah."

Klaus smiled softly. "Yes, she did manage to acquire many within that time."

"Klaus...can we just get to the point, please?"

How did he tell her something like this? Surely he'd have something whipped at him. A rage would overcome her because it seemed to be embedded in her genes to hate him. To accuse him of things she wasn't even sure of. And as soon as she heard of the mate's curse he knew all she would be seeing was red.

"I mean, I assume you know something or you wouldn't be standing here looking as guilty as you do. But I just want to know why it happened and that it was just a one time thing, okay? That's all I want to know."

He frowned and she didn't miss it.

"What-"

"It's a curse, love. One we have no control over."

"A curse," she said slowly. "Like _Shrek _and the _Beauty and the Beast_ kind of curse?"

He had no idea what she was referring to and shook his head, assuming they were wrong. "When I was gone for a few days-"

She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. "Yeah for like, ever."

Klaus ignored it. "When I was gone," he repeated, "I was sent back in time just like you were."

"To the 20s?"

"More like 2009."

Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't say anything.

"I roamed around for some time before I attempted to find Bonnie. Instead of her however, I came across a woman named Sheila, supposedly her grandmother. After ensuring my trust I told her about our predicament. I wanted answers and after a while she gave them to me but...now I'm sure that you're not going to like any of them."

Caroline straightened her back and clasped her hands in her lap as she pressed her lips together tightly. He was right, she'd probably hate everything that came out of his mouth next, but not knowing was driving her crazy. He obviously knew a lot more than he was letting on and it annoyed her.

"Just say it."

He sighed but his eyes never strayed from hers. "It's a mate's curse, love."

"A _what_?"

He felt uncomfortable somehow, seeing how angry it made her. He didn't know how to explain that technically they were fated to end up with one another, that they were to travel back in time for who knows how long through each other's pasts. That might throw her off the edge completely.

"Bonnie's grandmother showed me the curse. Once two vampires or wolves exchange blood, the curse starts. It's only between those who are..." He couldn't finish the sentence but she knew, the look in her eyes told him everything.

Caroline stood up shakily, lips parted slightly as she played his words back through her mind. It was a curse, this all was a curse because they were...he was her...it couldn't be possible. She hates him. He's a horrible, _horrible_ person who killed Tyler's mother, killed Elena's aunt, and bit her _twice_. Her life has been in danger countless times because of him. Klaus is a cruel person who doesn't care about anyone but him. How in the world could she be _fated_ to end up with him?

They'd disown her. Surely Elena would kneel over and she could only imagine Bonnie's face of disgust once she knew. Stefan would be speechless, his calm voice slowly trying to turn her away from him. And Tyler. Her stomach churned at the thought of him. Did he know she was gone? Had he realized her absence and unreturned calls? She hadn't heard from him days prior to her leaving and doubted that he had made any attempt to contact her. Things have been different lately, she knew, but it didn't mean she stopped caring about him completely. And it certainly didn't mean he wouldn't hit the roof once he found out. She'd rather be thrown back in time than deal with that.

A part of her didn't want to believe Klaus and instead shove it all back in his face and deny he ever spoke the words. But she saw it in his eyes, the sadness and grief they carried. It hurt her almost to think he didn't want it but there was a part of her wishing it was all a lie as well. His eyes averted from hers though and he sighed, the small exhale of breath filling the air. She tried saying something a few times but couldn't find the right words. They all seemed wrong.

"Did you tell anyone?" She finally decided on.

"Currently Bonnie is searching for answers to this blasted thing. Stefan and Damon were also present when I told them. It was right after I returned and found you missing."

Caroline paused. "Were they upset?"

"Your witch friend was hard to convince. She thought this was all some plot against you but with the help of Stefan I finally managed to get her to see reason. In fact, I'm supposed to notify them when you've returned."

"What's she looking for?"

"A way to put this to an end. The curse sends us each back through each other's pasts and we only come back when we've witnessed something that supposedly contributes to who we are now. Only then when we see that, are we sent back and the cycle continues."

"And there's no way to stop it?"

"As far as we know we have to complete all the different cycles. But that could take months."

Caroline swallowed. "And you're sure that's the curse? I mean...you honestly believe that-" There was some humor in her voice, the tiredness getting the best of her but it was hard to mask. It was just odd to think that him of all people would play into something without being so sure.

"I never said I believed anything." Klaus said, his voice harsher than he wanted. He couldn't help but feel the sting of her disbelief. He knew she would never want this but to take it as a joke...

"Klaus, all I'm saying is-"

"I know exactly what you're saying, Caroline. I'm working on it so don't worry. You won't be tied to me for much longer."

When he didn't respond she walked over to her closet and pulled out a fresh pair of clothes. The beads on her dress clicked together as she walked and she noticed him watching her as she moved. He was still angry but she saw it begin to slip away from him as she went to the bathroom to change. Although she was tired and felt like sleeping for a thousand years, she also didn't feel like being alone. A new curiosity was also poking at her brain as she realized he was sent back in time to 2009. Also known as her earlier times in high school. It made her seriously wonder what he saw and what brought him back.

Caroline walked back into the bedroom, half expecting him to be gone. But he was leaning against the doorframe, his features smooth and unfazed as he watched her silently. She didn't smile as she sat on the bed and brought a pillow to her chest, hugging it tightly. Her eyes connected with his only briefly before focusing on something behind him.

"Before you leave and send everyone over here...can you just tell me one thing?"

He only nodded.

"What did you see? Back in 2009, I mean."

She heard him sigh and wasn't sure if it was meant to be good or bad. His face seemed sad and for a while he couldn't look at her. While he spoke he gazed out the window. She saw both sadness and anger shining in his eyes and she wondered what troubled him. For the life of her she couldn't remember what could have been so horrible.

"You were much different back then, Caroline."

She swallowed hard. "Yeah," she forced out a laugh. "I thought I told you that you wouldn't have liked me much back then."

"Quite the contrary, love. You were rather interesting."

She crawled back and leaned against the headboard of the bed. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "There were some things I found amusing about you, others I rather disliked."

She frowned but didn't have time to express much else as he spoke again.

"Damon Salvatore being one of them."

She avoided his gaze completely. It's been years since she's thought about it and weeks since the dreams resurfaced. At first the nightmares would happen every night after it happened. She'd wake up to the feel of his fangs in her neck, still paralyzed from his compulsion. It was hard to bring herself out of them since they felt so real, the pain stung her skin and the fear was etched into every crevice of her heart. She never told anyone about them and just prayed they'd fade over time. It was just a fear she would have to overcome, something to get over. But it didn't help that she saw the face every day, was forced to be friends with someone who took everything from her. That definitely didn't help the nightmares go away.

She was mortified of what Klaus witnessed. He seemed angry so did that mean he was ashamed of her? Did he think less of her for being with him in the first place? She hoped he would just leave, save the yelling and screaming for someone else. She didn't know what she could take now.

"Klaus-" she finally said but he shook his head.

"He _used_ you, Caroline." His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Like his own personal blood bag. You were mindless, following his every wish and command like that was how your life was supposed to be."

Caroline swallowed and finally looked towards him. She was playing with the fabric of her quilt, biting her lip slightly as his rapid breathing filled the room. This wasn't his business because he was never supposed to find out about any of it. But it seemed like everything about her life he would know soon. She didn't like not having a say, having her whole life exposed to him without a choice. And that was one of the last things he needed to see. He wouldn't understand and she knew Damon's time on this earth was shortening by the minute.

"It was a long time ago," she finally said. "I was young and naive and I wanted him at first. The attention seeker got the best of me and I thought he was bad and sexy. I never thought that it would turn into...what it did."

He was shaking his head, hands behind his back as he began to pace. "It doesn't excuse anything. Those so called friends of yours barely remembered what I was talking about when I confronted them. Even with a wooden pole through his chest, Damon denied it all, blamed it on you. Bloody morons they are said nothing of it."

She flashed in front of him, eyes blazing as she shoved his chest. "Leave them out of this! That's Stefan's brother and Elena cares about him. He's important to them and it doesn't matter what happened _years_ ago. They've moved past it and so have I."

"How does that not bother you?"

Caroline licked her lips and sighed heavily. "It doesn't matter what I think. That's in the past and I'm not discussing it with you of all people. I'm glad you got to see it and that it sent back you but frankly, it's none of your business." She turned her back to him and walked to the bed. "So go."

There was a pause and for a moment she thought he finally left for good. She was climbing under the covers when she heard his voice.

"It wasn't the Salvatore that sent me back."

She holds her breath because the way he says it makes it seem almost worse than Damon. As he walks closer to her she wracks her brain of that year.

High school...she was seventeen, her dad was gone, her mother worked a lot. Junior year. Homecoming. Death, lots of death. She was turned that year. She _died_ that year. Forever seventeen. Forever young. Damon gave her his blood. He saved her. Car accident. Katherine. Manipulative bitch Katherine. Matt, she dated Matt. Did he see that? Is that what's making him so upset? Because God if _that's _it-

"I saw your loneliness, love, and quite frankly you hide it rather well."

She froze, leg mid air ready to climb into the bed and her fingers still curled around the quilt. "My what?"

"After I talked to Bonnie's grandmother, I wandered around the town for a while and came across your home."

She scoffed at the phrase 'came across' because she was more than certain he had been stalking her like always.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I came across your home and saw you on the couch. It was rather late at night. You were watching the television, some mindless cartoon was on, and you had your dinner tray on the coffee table. All the doors and windows were bolted and locked and the house was dark. If I recall correctly you even whispered a prayer before you fell asleep."

She was facing him, eyes wide with determination to not show a single emotion. But he saw through it now, she couldn't fool him any longer. The cracks were showing through her mask and he wondered why it was never so obvious before. Perhaps it was because he never looked hard enough, always assumed that was who she was. But it's always the happy ones with the deepest problems.

"I was sent back only moments later."

Caroline's eyebrows knitted together and her lips pursed up. She couldn't decide whether to yell or let her features soften to show him the truth. It would be easier to scoff, roll her eyes and tell him to leave. But the thought of him leaving now made her stomach knot up. Her hands were still slightly shaking, the shock taking it's time to wear off and the home was empty. She swallowed hard and pictured him walking out the front door. It would be just like what he saw back then. Caroline turning off all the lights and climbing into bed on her own, her mother wandering in somewhere between four and five in the morning. Never a goodbye before school, never a hello when she got home.

She sighed softly. "My mother worked a lot and after my father left she had to work even more. She sort of drowned herself in it."

Klaus looked at her sadly and crossed his arms over his chest. He studied her briefly, trying to choose his next words carefully. There were many things he wanted to say but only few mattered at the moment. The others simply had to wait.

"You'll never have to be alone again." He said, almost hesitant as he looked into her eyes. "Not if you don't want to."

The Big Bad Hybrid was promising to never leave her alone again and she didn't know whether to take that in a good way or in a creepy, forever way.

No one's ever said anything like that before. She thought for a minute he was joking because the words sounded so foreign as they slipped past his lips. But there was a sternness in his face and she saw the truth behind the blueness scanning over her features. She wasn't sure if he knew the severity behind his words, how much they meant to her if they rang true.

She only smiled for in response because she had nothing else to say.

"I assume you'll tell me all about your time in the 20s. But right now I have to go."

Caroline cocked her head to the side, not understanding completely.

He clutched his chest, as if he were in pain and his eyes widened. "The cycle. You're home which means I leave."

_Oh my God_, she thought, _he was telling the truth._

His sudden chuckle broke her from her thoughts. "You really doubted me." He shook his head. "Bloody unbelieveable."

"Can you blame me?" She said but he was already fading. Soon nothing but a chill remained in the spot he stood moments ago.

Caroline sat slowly on the bed, bringing the covers up to her now shivering body. She kept staring at the door, at the emptiness it now held. Everything was moving so fast and there was still a million questions floating around in her mind. Just the concept of a _mate's_ curse had her wanting to run for the hills.

She couldn't be his mate, whatever that meant. He was Klaus for God's sake. He's a monster. He doesn't care or feel and he certainly couldn't..._love_. She couldn't imagine being his love, to see him looking at her like Stefan looks at Elena. Now that was love; epic, meant-to-be, fate, destiny kind of love. Something she only heard about in books and saw in movies. What people dreamed about for their whole lives. And she wanted it, she wanted it so badly. Doesn't everyone? Somewhere in the depths of their souls there's a desire, however small, for a love that could last lifetimes.

To see Klaus feeling that way about her or anyone for the matter baffled her. She didn't see it. All the blood and bodies were piled up too high in front of him for her to see anything else.

And it didn't matter that he understood her in a way that no one else could.

It didn't matter that she could see feel his hands around her waist.

It didn't matter that the Damon situation bothered him and that he saw a side of her no one else got to see.

It doesn't matter.

He's a monster and he always will be.

Caroline soon drifted to sleep but had the taste of bubbling champagne on her lips and the feel of lips on her cheek.

All the while a soft jazz beat filled her ears.

* * *

**So I don't think I've ever written a chapter this short before but if went to include Klaus' journey then it would turn into 10k and a year to actually write. But you have this to hold you over.**

**I hope you all liked it. I feel like they needed this after everything that happened in the past few chapters. There's a lot they each experienced and especially for Caroline. She's completely confused and angry and maybe even scared. I want to make Caroline maybe a tad more vulnerable because she's still a person whose experienced a lot and even though she's strong and gets through the hard times, not even the strongest people can withstand everything bad ever happening being thrown back in your face by the person you're supposed to hate. So please take that in mind while you read.**

**Tell me what you think! Thoughts, comments, concerns, I'll read them all!**

**Again I hope you enjoyed it and have a great week!**


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